Phillips Community

Location and General Characteristics

The Phillips Community is located south of downtown Minneapolis. It extends from Interstate 94 on the north to Lake Street East on the south and from Interstate 35 on the west to Hiawatha Avenue on the east. The eastern border continues along Hiawatha to Cedar Avenue South and then along the Soo Line railroad. The neighborhood and its junior high school take their names from Wendell Phillips, a 19
th century abolitionist.

Phillips is a diverse area in many ways: its population includes people of many nationalities; it has a mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses; and it is home to several large employers such as Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Wells Fargo Mortgage and Allina Health Care Services along with small neighborhood businesses. The $189 million redevelopment of the vacant Sears building at Chicago Avenue and Lake Street into a mixed-used development of offices, hotel, retail and housing located in Phillips is one of the most important projects undertaken in the city in recent times.

The greater Phillips neighborhood was subdivided over the past few years into Ventura Village, Phillips West, East Phillips and Midtown Phillips. On May 9, 2002, the City Council approved the separation of Ventura Village from Phillips, also adding a few parcels from western Seward to the new neighborhood. Ventura Village occupies the northern part of Phillips, delineated by 22
nd and 24
th streets, 17
th Avenue South, and Chicago Avenue.

On April 29, 2005, the City Council approved establishing Phillips West. Phillips West occupies the western part of the former Phillips neighborhood, delineated by Chicago Avenue and 22nd Street. On December 23, 2005, the City Council approved and officially designated the boundaries for East Phillips and Midtown Phillips. East Phillips boundaries follow Bloomington Avenue, East 24th Street, 17th Avenue South and East 22nd Street. Midtown Phillips is bound by East 24th Street on the north, Chicago Avenue on the west and Bloomington Avenue on the east. Since these subdivisions occurred after 2000, the data in this neighborhood profile continues to reflect the greater Phillips community, except for selected 2000 indicators.

Touchstone Plaza in Peavey Park was designed by Rafaela Green in 1993. It consists of a circular plaza with mosaic pathways and tiled benches, and it embraces the traditions of five cultural groups in the community.

Last updated Sep 27, 2011

QUICK LINKS

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